Beyond Peakbagging: Why climb and hike in the mountains and backcountry?

[turquoise]

To all - I love to hike! I long to be outdoors, whether it be on the water with Scarlet, my kayak, paddling one of my canoes, rock climbing or backpacking. I do like the rush of getting to the summit or finishing the end of a trail.

I'm reading a book, The White Death, about an avalanche disaster in Glacier national park. A group of five young men perished in an attempt of the north face of Mount Cleveland . . . a winter climb. I wondered why we pursue our endeavors to climb, hike, and walk the backcountry trails. I realize than being outdoor enthusiasts, we are getting away from civilization, traffic, hassles, noise. I know we like sports and exercise. I agree we are curious about flora and fauna.

I think we also search. For what? A berrer place to be . . . views, understanding ourselves. What do you think?

Peakbagging brings adventure, but being outdoors offers more. The ADKs give solitude. Being there renews me. Any thoughts? - Turq

[Mavs00]

Reasons vary for me....

I love the outdoors too, and many of your overall reasons for hiking coinside with mine, so I won't go back over them.

I will add:

Depending on my mood and goals, my love, enjoyment and reasons for individual pursuits vary a bit. Sometimes, Its just plain peakbagging (finding my way to a new summit, or old one I enjoy), sometimes it's for the challenge of a trail, hike, bushwhack or other adventure.

Sometimes, I just feel the need for spiritual renewal in my daily hectic life. When that's the case, I make time to get up to the daks (I live 5 1/2 hours away) and just get out and enjoy myself. It never fails to work.

I've generally found, that no matter what the reason for a particular hike and what i'm looking to get out of it, I generally satifiy it and continue on. That's the beautiful thing about it, it satifies on so many levels.

[rondak100]

Intimacy and Perfection....

Intimacy: I get myself into the woods and climb mountains because I like to get to know the land. I want to know it better than others do. I pour over maps and Terraserver images, almost to obsession. I compare new maps to older maps so that I may see what was once there, what may be hidden and to witness transformation and renewal. When I look at a range of mountains, I think inside that it is mine, and I sometimes slip, and describe them to others as mine.

I know how this will sound, especially when coupled (lol) with the comments above, but heregoes. The experience of hiking and climbing is well-described, for me, as penetration. Penetration of the woods, the mountains, the hollows, the history, the myth, the fear and anxiety are all fulfilling feelings for the existentialist in me. I guess you could say that I percieve a resistance from the woods and the mountains; overcoming this resistance is quite cathartic for me.

Perfection: Very simply, when I get to the top or finish my exploration, unlike many things in life, there is nothing or noone that can dispute, qualify, minimize or otherwise alter the experience with words or opinions. Its a done deal and I was on the top...

Mike

[garboon_syr]

Turquoise

I could go on for a while, but in short I do it:

to replensih my "energy", tis good for the soul!

to put things in perspective, to realize how insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things. (The grand canyon was the best at reminding me of this, and a sidenote, to any who have not been hiking there, I HIGHLY recommend trying to get there it at least once in your life)

it is a great reminder for me that everything is all about the journey and not the destination, I try to enjoy every step and detail as much as the view form the top when hiking and take that with me and extend it to other aspects of my life like enjoying my weekdays as much as my weekends, work days as much as vacation days and to not always be looking forward to "something" in the future and just letting the days pass in the meantime.

because it reminds me of things like hard work and determination payoff in the end and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Ok, so that was not as short as I planned but thanks for stimulating my thoughts this morning, your post was a good reminder by itself Turquoise!!

Happy Holidays to all

[Kevin]

Not only does it refill my spirit, it offers me a physical challenge my day-to-day routine does not. I also learn a lot about myself through the application of some presistence in finishing the last few hundred feet of a 3000' ascent with 50 pounds of gear on my back... so many times have I wanted to quit hiking due to fatigue, but I kept going anyway and made it to my destination.

Also, the most beautiful views are not from the window of a car or helicopter, it's someplace you HAVE to get to yourself. There's a sense of accomplishment in that feat (as well as aesthetic pleasure) .

[robbie]

Agreed.
Climb on,
Rob

[Emily]

Yes

After a week of work, classes, and annoying people I head for a hike in the Adirondacks. I love utilizing all my senses, smelling the fresh air, the pines, the flowers... basking in the summit views and spying a newt or grouse on her nest or a lady slipper or trillium or jack-in-the-pulpit or some new flower or bird along the way... I love exerting myself, getting my blood pumping and muscles working. I need the outdoors as a bird needs air currents... to get away from it all. I enjoy my solitude and I enjoy meeting people on the trails; 99% of the time they are really great. I enjoy being tired at the end of the day knowing that I've accomplished something that not many people ever will. I enjoy working through "technical difficulties" such as frozen water tubes knowing that I can and will do it...

For a short time all my troubles disappear and everything seems a little better. Hiking = living.

I enjoyed reading the passion in your posts.

[Kevin]

Bumping this -- think it deserves another look

[Charlie]

Spiritual

For me it's very spiritual to be in the outdoors, especially in the mountains, but maybe not the way some experience spirituality.

You see, I believe in a supreme creative being that has given all of this to us to be stewards of. Dare I say the word, God!

I cannot fathom how some can be in the mountains in the Adirondacks and say "there is no God".

God may be different for you than he is for me, so I won't go down that path but the evidence of a loving creator is overwhelming TO ME when I am in the mountains.

And I am thankful for it!

[redhawk]

I've been outdoors all my life, since I was six years old, raised on the rez in South Dakota.

I don't "bag" peaks. Occasionally I climb one because I want a picture, or it's "in my way" and there is no choice.

In my 55 years of being in the woods, I would guess that I have done at least 50 peaks that were in the 10,000 to 15,000 foot range and hundreds of other that were "smaller". I didn't count them because the climbing was incidental. I was on a trek, not a conquest.

I usually hike alone (although that is changing because of age and health) and usually bushwhacks because I prefer to be in isolated places, away from human contact.

I can (and have) spend hours just observing small animals scurrying about their business. I often stalk game, too see how close I can get and to observe them also. I can sit for hours along the banks of a river, or near a waterfall, or a meadow or a forest and get a rush. It's a spiritual paradox, "The companionship of solitude".

It takes me away from a world that is rapidly changing, not for the better.
Away from technology, which speed things up and takes away the thrill of using my hands and my brain to achieve goals.
Away from chlorinated water, smog, air pollution, noise pollution, privacy invasion and the structure and demands of government nd society.

I go to the woods to be solitary, to observe the beauty that the Creator has created, not yet ruined and despoiled by the "improvement" of man in his arrogance.

I go to the woods to return to a simpler time, when we "learned to listen" and then "Listened to learn".

I go to the woods to behold the Majesty of nature and to humble myself before it.

I go to the Wilderness because in it lies the proof that there is a God.

[Skyclimber]

I climb for peace, serenity, the beauty, love for the outdoors. My time to "relax" and unwind from the everyday pressures we call life. My time to spend with my friends. I got a whole new perspective upon life when beginning climbing, I found that the world around me wasn't mean and ugly it was the people in it that were.

[AlphaDog]

...

I agree with all the above...
In the simplest terms...hiking, climbing, "baggin' peaks" is for me:
relaxing
fun
exercise
gives me a sense of accomplishment
sense of adventure
experience of doing instead of living vicariously through books.

[Skyclimber]

Climbing has changed my life dramatically, giving me strength, courage, self-confidence to be able to say "I can do this", no matter how hard it may be and gave me the confidence to try, not only in the mountains but in everyday living as well, and I have different attitudes towards life, myself and others. Not only do I get much joy out of climbing, but all my friends are people I met in the mountains. People who share that same love. In general mountains have shaped most of my life into a different mold. So Why Do I Climb?

[Jeff]

Oldest reason in the book, because it's there. I LOVE being in the woods and getting away from the hustle and bustle. I live a lot easier while I'm in the woods. The air smells better and the water tastes sweeter...... I think that the surrounding forest feels more at home to me than a house somewhere near where I need to live. Ever lay on the ground and take a long deep breath of the earth. You know, the smell of dirt and how "natural" it feels to the body's senses? Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. We all return to the earth someday. There are so many other reasons that I could end up rambling on for quite some time.